Upon his arrival at the Presidential Palace, Pope Francis, accompanied by cavalry on Arabian horses, was accorded an official reception.

A 21-gun salute was fired in honour of the Pontiff, following which the Papal Anthem and that of the United Arab Emirates were played.

During the ceremony, Their Highnesses welcomed the visit of Pope Francis to the country and expressed happiness at the historic visit of a man famed for peace and love across the world.

They expressed confidence that the visit would contribute to dialogue, brotherhood, coexistence, cooperation and respect among all human beings, and would enhance peace and security for people across the world.

After his meeting with Sheikh Mohamed, Pope Francis signed the ‘Book of Honour’ and presented a framed medallion by the artist Daniela Longo.

The medallion depicts the encounter between St. Francis of Assisi and the Sultan Malek el-Kamel which took place in 1219, an episode narrated in the ninth chapter of the ‘Legenda Maior’ – one of the most important manuscripts of the Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale di Roma detailing the official biography of St. Francis.

A Latin inscription of the Apostolic visit can be found around the border of the medallion, whose imagery highlights the purpose of the trip, human fraternity and dialogue.